


Fine.

by aintweproudriff



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: M/M, Multi, These boys istg, They fight a lot, seriously lots of fighting so if that's triggering please don't, they love each other they've just got that kind of Personality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-01-27 18:35:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12588076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aintweproudriff/pseuds/aintweproudriff
Summary: Prompt: Two people in the relationship are constantly fighting, and the other two are extremely annoyed and concerned. So the two team up and figure out how to fix the issue.I added a second chapter for another prompt: Since Elmer was the most uncomfortable and scared whenever Race and Spot fought, [he stands up for himself]. (Prompt changed to avoid spoilers)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I try not to criticize my fics too much, but I feel like this ending was rushed and not as realistic as I wanted it to be. Remember kids: disagreeing in a relationship is okay, so is arguing, but fighting is where problems happen

“Goddamnit, Race!” Spot stepped on the brakes, the car screeching to a stop at the red light. “Would you just stop doing that?”

“What?” Race asked innocently, his hand sliding forward to touch the radio. “You mean this?” He turned up the volume three notches, and Spot clenched his fist. 

“Yes, that!”

Albert turned his head to Elmer, who was looking out the rear passenger side window. Albert tapped his shoulder and got his boyfriends attention. The two shared uncomfortable looks, rolling their eyes. 

Spot kept yelling. “You know I can’t focus on the road right if the music’s too loud.”

“And you know, Spot” Race said accusingly, “that I like to have music up high so I can have some fun in this boring car ride!” 

Spot parked underneath the metal awning in front of their apartment. The two boys in front stood up and slammed the car doors as they got out. Albert and Elmer dutifully followed. 

“The car rides are boring, Race? Why might that be? Do you think the three of us are boring?”

“Spot-”

Spot’s voice echoed and banged against the tin roof. “No, Race,” his voice was sickly sarcastic, “obviously we aren’t interesting enough for you. You know, we try to have a nice day out, a nice car ride, maybe talk to each other for once-”

Albert nodded to Spot secretly, making eye contact with Elmer as he did. 

“-but no, if it’s boring for Anthony Higgins, I guess we’ll just put that all on hold because God forbid you be bored,” Spot didn’t stop yelling, not even when Elmer took his arm and pulled him back. “If we’re boring, Race-”

“Spot,” Elmer said sternly. “Let’s go somewhere else, okay? You need a break.”

Albert had his hand on Race’s shoulder, which looked slumped and defeated. 

“Elmer, I don’t need a break. I need to figure out why Race thinks we’re not enough fun to be around.”

Elmer raised his chin. “Spot,” he whispered. “Come on. You can’t do this.”

Spot started walking away, through the autumn leaves, red and yellow like his vision. Elmer followed, running after him so that he wouldn’t do anything impulsive and stupid. Or, at the very least, so that he wouldn’t do anything dangerous. 

Albert walked inside with Race, and the two of them moved around the kitchen in silence, making food for the boys who were still outside. 

-

Elmer and Spot came home hours later, Spot’s face toward the ground, and Elmer’s head up high. Both of their faces were red from the cold, and both of them felt tingles in their fingers at the new warmth. 

Spot still slept on the couch that night; the dent in the mattress felt uncomfortable any time any of the three boys rolled over it. 

-

“He said,” Elmer sighed, “he promised that he was going to try and stop.” 

Elmer and Albert sat on the bed, playing their music as loud as they could without feeling guilty for trying to tune out their boyfriends. The other two were in the kitchen, bickering about whatever the newest issue was. 

“I know. Race didn’t, though. They both love picking these fights, for whatever reason,” Albert gripped Elmer’s hands tightly, feeling for a pulse. “They just love the rush; they don’t think about what it could feel like for us. God, I hate it.”

“I know. I know. I do too. It’s like we’re little kids, listening to our parents fighting.”

Seconds passed. A song changed, and the beat between songs made the room silent but for the sounds of muffled whispering in another room. Then, a frustrated scream sounded in the kitchen, and Elmer put his head in his hands. 

“Al,” he shook his head, not looking up, “do you think they’re gonna do somethin’ they’ll regret? Like do you think one of them might leave?” 

Albert shook his head, reacting too quickly to give himself time to think of an honest answer. “No, never.” 

Neither of them could be sure if it was a lie.

“But if one of them did,” Elmer met Albert’s eyes, “what would happen? Would the other three of us stay together? Would you and me be able to stay together without them? I don’t wanna have to like, choose between Race and Spot. What if you chose Spot and I chose Race, or the other way ‘round, and we separated and-” 

“That’s not goin’ to happen, El. It wouldn’t, it just wouldn’t happen,” Albert reassured him. “There’s no way in hell we’d ever let that happen, okay?” 

Something smashed in he other room, and Albert sighed. 

“Which one of us is going to go break that one up?”

Elmer shook his head and grumbled. “Would you mind? I’m not really up for it and I just-”

“Yeah, no problem,” Albert nodded. “We are going to stop this, though. Promise.”

-

Only a day later, Race and Spot were on opposite sides of the television room, watching the same show but disagreeing on what seemed like every little detail. 

“I love the soundtrack to this show,” Race told Albert, who was sitting next to him, “just ‘cause I think it’s a good show of how the character feels but also it’s super modern.”

“I dunno,” Spot told Race. “I think maybe it’s a little bit boring. Like, these are the songs we hear on the radio every day, and then I have to hear the same lame pop on the show? It’s good, but they should change up some of the music every once in awhile. Howabout an old eighties ballad?” 

Race didn’t look at Spot at all. “Like he listens to the radio, his music’s too quiet to hear any of it,” he scoffed. 

Elmer and Albert held their breath, anticipating the worst. But nothing happened. Spot only rolled his eyes, turning his head back to the television as the end credits rolled. 

“I liked tha’ episode,” Elmer smiled happily. “I kinda really enjoy the filler episodes, ‘cause they’re happy and easy to watch.”

“Yeah, but the ones with plot are so much fun though,” Race bobbed his head from side to side. 

“How are the emotionally draining ones any fun?” Spot’s shoulders shook in an almost-laugh. “Nah, I’m with El.”

Race tried to speak. “They’re just-”

“Hold on,” Albert interrupted. “Can we stop for a second? We need to have a talk.”

Spot and Race immediately stood up straighter, but Elmer seemed to sink into the floor. 

“The two of you,” Albert said, doing his best to keep his voice steady, “have been fighting non-stop for days now. It’s like every conversation with the two of you is just ‘blah blah, you’re wrong!’”

Elmer, visibly uncomfortable, shifted his weight back and forth. 

Albert didn’t notice, and continued. “It’s making us really upset, you guys, and it needs to stop. I don’t know why it’s happening, or why it’s happening now of all times, but it needs to stop.”

Silence washed over the square of boys. 

“Fine,” Race made a movement that was jagged, like he had been frozen in time and then suddenly released. “Okay.”

“What do you mean ‘fine’?” Albert said with a disapproving tone, sticking his neck out. “This isn’t like, ‘should we get takeout?’ ‘fine.’ This is like, ‘I need to shape up my attitude!’”

Simultaneously, Race and Spot took a stand. 

“That’s what I meant.”

“That’s what he meant.”

Albert looked, finally, at Elmer and lifted his eyebrows, questioning whether or not Elmer felt okay with this. Elmer hesitated, then nodded, giving permission. 

“Alright, then. Fine it is,” Albert nodded.

The other three boys breathed obvious sighs of relief. 

“But!” Albert broke the silence. “If you two start to see yourself gettin’ into a fight, and you know it’s over nothin’, find a way to stop it, quickly. And if we tell you that you’re fightin’ for no reason, you gotta let it go under the bridge. Deal?”

Neither of them looked at each other or thought about it at all. 

“Deal.”

“Deal.”

"Alright, fine."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't planning to update this fic! But someone requested a sequel and I didn't want to make it a series, so here you go.

A crash sounded from the living room, and Elmer threw his face into a pillow. He was allowed to pitch a fit like this, he figured. After all, it wasn’t like there was anyone else here to stop him. The rest of his boyfriend were all pitching fits (and, apparently, the good china) of their own. The pillow didn’t get wet though, he didn’t let it. It only muffled the sound of dry crying and heavy breathing.   
Elmer was angry that Albert had gotten involved. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Albert should have still been here with him, talking him through this. He should have been quelling any and all of Elmer’s fears about why they were fighting, and if they would ever leave. It didn’t sound quite as believable when Elmer told himself that they’d be together forever, that none of them would want to leave him. And the lack of a hand on his back as he kicked and screamed was noticed, painfully so. 

The sound had stopped from the other room, a fact Elmer noticed only when he himself stopped moving. The front slammed, and he sat himself up, wondering who had left. Footsteps came down the hall and then stopped briefly in front of the bedroom before continuing away. Elmer stood up as he heard another set of hands fall on the doorknob and turn it slowly. 

“El?” a voice said softly, allowing themself to step into the room. 

Elmer blinked. “Spot, hi,” he sat back on the bed. “I kinda figured it’d be Albert who came to talk to me.”

Spot let out a sharp breath, almost a laugh, and sat down next to his boyfriend. “Yeah, yeah. That’s probably fair. But, uh, Albert went to take a walk. So you’re stuck with me for a while.”

“Huh. So what?” Elmer asked, wiping the tired look off of his face. “Do you want to say something?”

“Jesus. Yeah, I do,” Spot leaned back until he was laying down. “I know you hate the fighting but it’s just so easy to let it happen. I can’t always stop it. Sometimes I feel like I need to pick a fight, you know?”

Elmer looked at Spot. “I don’t think so. But obviously, you do know.”

He turned away from his boyfriend, glaring at the wall. He was sick and tired of being nice about this. It wasn’t his fault that he hated the fighting. It shouldn’t be falling on him to convince them to stop. 

“Elmer. Elmer, come on,” he felt Spot’s hand on his back and it sent chills up his spine. “Look at me, please.” Spot’s voice was desperate, shaky. Elmer bit his bottom lip. 

“Okay. Hey, if you don’t wanna talk to me, I get it. I’m kinda an asshole today. But you need to talk to me sometime, okay? I think tonight I’m gonna try to talk to Race and Al about what happened today. Because we’ve gotta fix it.”

Spot got up and tried to leave, but Elmer grabbed onto his arm. 

“What was it about?” Elmer looked up at Spot. 

“Hm?” Spot’s concerned eyes met Elmer’s, and only now did Elmer realize how wet and red Spot’s eyes were. 

“What-” Elmer tried to keep his voice steady, “-what was the fight abou today?”

“Nothing.” Spot laughed, but the sound died as it left his mouth. “I think I forgot to empty the dishwasher. And Race asked me to do it and I think I just-” he paused and looked up at the ceiling. “I just fucked up. I’m going to try to get better though. I’m gonna get your help, and I’m gonna get better.”

Elmer moved his hand down Spot’s arm, eventually gripping his hand. Spot squeezed gently and Elmer nodded. 

Spot closed the door on his way out, leaving Elmer alone again. 

-

The red couch was soft, but the leather was cold to his touch. No one had sat on it in a few hours, they’d all been doing other things. Elmer, for example, had been in bed for a long time. He hadn’t left the bedroom in hours. Albert had only gotten back from his hour-long walk a few moments earlier. Race had been pacing in the office the entire time Albert was gone. Spot had used the couch, but he was still in his position on the floor, leaning up against the couch.   
And now all of them were right there; three of them sat on the cushions, Spot stayed on the floor. 

“So.” Albert bravely started. “We had a fight. And now we’re gonna-”

“-talk it over,” Spot finished the sentence for him. 

Race looked down at Spot. “What is there to talk about?”

“Lots,” Spot answered, looking up. “We’ve been fighting all the time, and it’s hurtin’ us all. We can’t keep doing this.”

“So what do you suggest?” Albert bit, and Elmer had to take a deep breath to calm his nervous heart. 

“I don’t know!” Spot stood up. “We just need to do something, anything, to keep us from doing this.” 

Elmer nodded, running his hands through his hair. 

Spot’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Boys. I love you,” he looked at each of the three people seated on the couch. “I don’t say that enough, I know. But I hope you know it anyway. Dunno why you would, actually. I don’t act like it. But it’s true. I’d do anythin’ to stay with you guys. And I don’t feel like I’m showin’ that to you. Sometimes I’ve gotta wonder if you’d do the same. I know-” he waved at Race, who was about to protest, “-that you would. That’s not the point. I don’t feel like it’s true when we fight.”

“I feel like we’re fine!” Race lifted his arms. “Every relationship has its fights!” 

Elmer spoke for the first time. “I don’t feel like you get it, Race,” he sat up straighter to let his voice carry. “Because every time you guys fight, it reminds me of the day my father left me and my mother forever.” He let his voice break, and felt the heat in his eyes. “And it makes me afraid to think that you’re also going to leave me like he did.” Elmer shrugged, biting his bottom lip in a vain attempt to keep himself from crying. 

Race gasped, his eyes squeezed shut. Albert opened his mouth, then closed it. Spot had taken a seat in the chair adjacent to them. 

“I can’t go through that again,” Elmer laughed coldly. “So I’m begging you, if not for you, do it for me. Please, you guys. Please stop.”

Spot reached across, his arm bridging the gap between the chair and Elmer. “We’re gonna stop, Elm.” His face turned to Albert and Race. “We’re going to stop.”

There was not a shred of doubt in his words. It wasn’t like the way that Albert had used to tell Elmer they would never break up. It was sure, like a promise made of steel. 

Elmer didn’t see his boyfriend’s faces as they murmured their agreement, but he was beyond grateful that they did. He felt Race take his hand press a kiss to his cheek, and Elmer allowed for his head to fall back onto the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked it, make sure to come say hi on tumblr @javidblue or @spot-and-all-his-cronies!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it!


End file.
